What should workers know about ladder safety?

Ladders are commonplace on many worksites in San Antonio. As a result, it’s up to employers to ensure staff is appropriately knowledgeable about ladder safety, which prevents falls and devastating injuries. EHS Insight urges supervisors to pass the following tips along to workers so they can protect themselves when hard at work.

All ladders feature a weight capacity. Exceeding this capacity compromises the stability of the ladder and puts workers at risk for serious injuries. It’s important to obey other safety rules, such as the proper placement of a ladder. Putting a ladder on an unstable surface can cause it to tip over. It’s also dangerous to move a ladder while someone is on it, which can occur when workers feel pressure to complete a task in a timely manner.

All work equipment should be routinely inspected to make sure it’s still safe for use. Obvious problems with a ladder, such as a missing rung, must be addressed immediately before the ladder is used again. Accordingly, ladders should be taken out of rotation and replaced or repaired. When repaired, a ladder must offer the same level of stability and usefulness before workers can resume using it. If a ladder is deemed defective, it should be clearly marked to prevent it from being used accidentally.

Information on the proper use of ladders should be readily available to staff. Additionally, workers should also be trained on how to correctly use the equipment, which ensures they have a working knowledge of the correct process. Workers should also be aware of the different uses of different ladders. In most cases, common sense is the best defense against accidents and other issues.